Objective: To study the impact of a student-specific urology conference for students considering a career in urology. The first symposium specifically for medical students interested in urology was designed to provide an opportunity to present their research, explore urological subspecialties, and network with faculty members, residents, and other students.
Methods: Medical students and faculty at a US medical school organized the inaugural New England Student Urology Symposium (NESUS). The conference consisted of presentations from faculty members on various urology subspecialties, invited keynote speakers from regional Urology faculty, student poster and oral presentations, a surgical skills fair, and student and faculty panels surrounding the Urology Match and impact on career decision-making. Surveys were administered both before and after the conference to assess student perspectives.
Results: Forty-two medical students attended the conference, representing 21 medical schools from 15 states across all major US regions. Attending the conference was associated with increased knowledge surrounding the Urology Match for students at schools without urology clinical rotations and decreased certainty about pursuing urology as a specialty along with increased comfort with presenting research for all attendees. 100% of student attendees recommended the conference to medical students interested in urology.
Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that conference attendees found NESUS to be a valuable opportunity to gain confidence in presenting research, strengthen knowledge about the match process and its competitiveness, and network with faculty, residents, and fellow students. Future student-focused conferences in urology and other specialties should be considered at the regional or national level.
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